1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a large-sized umbrella, and in particular to an umbrella having a canopy that is capable to be oriented in inclined directions.
2. The Related Art
Large-sized umbrellas are widely used in a variety of applications, such as beach umbrellas and garden umbrellas, for shading intense sunlight. Thus, some of the large-sized umbrellas are provided with a mechanism for orienting the canopy in order to adapt to the direction of sunlight. Such a mechanism is often mounted on a central rod of the umbrella. The most commonly seen mechanism for orienting the canopy is a pivotal joint formed between upper and lower sections of the central rod that allows for rotation of the upper section on which the canopy is mounted with respect to the lower section that is secured on ground. A latch is arranged between the upper and lower sections to engage holes defined in the central rod in order to selectively fix the upper section at a desired position with respect to the lower section. Such an orientating mechanism has a complicated structure and thus difficult to operate. In addition, the complicated structure raises the manufacturing costs of the umbrella.
Another conventional orientating mechanism for large-sized umbrellas includes a rope that drives the upper section with respect to the lower section and selectively fixes the upper section at different positions with respect to the lower section. A reel and associated winding mechanism are required for operating the rope. Again, the structure of the conventional orientating mechanism is complicated and costly. Maintenance and manufacturing are difficult too.
A further orientating mechanism for large-sized umbrellas is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/304,677. This patent application provides an orienting mechanism which has a central rod made of metal. The central rod includes an upper section and a lower section. An enlarged opening is arranged at lower end of the upper section of the central rod. The lower section of the central rod can be inserted into the upper section through the enlarged opening. The lower section is pivoted with the upper section, so that a user can orientate the canopy in inclined directions. The enlarged opening can be used for metal central rod. If the central rod is made of wood, it is very difficult to provide the enlarged opening.
Thus, it desired to have a canopy orientating device for a large-sized umbrella that overcomes the above problems.